Atlanta, GA
Cosmetology Schools in Atlanta, GA, Ranked (2026)
Atlanta skyline. Photo by Shawn M. Kent, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Published
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
The cosmetology schools in Atlanta that this page ranks are the seventeen within reach that report completion figures to the federal government. Four of them have Atlanta addresses. The rest ring the city, from Decatur at six miles out to Keune Academy by 124 in Lawrenceville at 26. Two more nearby schools had cohorts too small to rank.
Georgia sells its licensee lists rather than posting them, so this page rests on the federal data alone. That changes what the ranking can tell you. It compares outcomes among schools big enough to report, and it says nothing about the many clock-hour beauty schools around Atlanta that never enter federal reporting at all.
Figures in this section: Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers (Professional Licensing Boards Division, Office of the Georgia Secretary of State); BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
The 17 Cosmetology Schools in and Near Atlanta, Ranked on Completion
19 cosmetology programs report to the US Department of Education from inside Atlanta or within 30 miles of downtown. 17 of them had at least 40 students and a published completion figure, and they are ordered on the share of students who finish within half again the program's normal length. The other 2 had too few students to rank, so the list stops at 17.
Where a school's board record was matched, the card carries it. A school that appears here without one is not unlicensed; it means the board's file and the federal file did not agree on its name, and the Georgia page links the board's own lookup.
| # | School | Miles | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | International School of Skin Nailcare & Massage Therapy | 15 | 100% |
| 2 | Keune Academy by 124 | 26 | 85% |
| 3 | Hogan Institute of Cosmetology and Esthetics | 17 | 83% |
| 4 | Paul Mitchell the School-Esani | 20 | 77% |
| 5 | Empire Beauty School-Kennesaw | 21 | 75% |
| 6 | Georgia Career Institute | 22 | 69% |
| 7 | Elaine Sterling Institute | 7 | 67% |
| 8 | Pro Way Hair School | 11 | 60% |
| 9 | Beaver Beauty Academy | 6 | 54% |
| 10 | Empire Beauty School-Gwinnett | 20 | 50% |
| 11 | Atlanta Technical College | 3 | 49% |
| 12 | Paul Mitchell the School-Atlanta | 3 | 48% |
| 13 | Georgia Piedmont Technical College | 9 | 44% |
| 14 | Chattahoochee Technical College | 16 | 38% |
| 15 | Gwinnett Technical College | 24 | 32% |
| 16 | Empire Beauty School-Morrow | 13 | 29% |
| 17 | Empire Beauty School-Northlake | 10 | 22% |
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#1
International School of Skin Nailcare & Massage Therapy
Sandy Springs, GA
100%
Share of students who finish
- 163 graduates a year
- $18,055 program cost
What the record shows
International School of Skin Nailcare & Massage Therapy runs its nail technology program in Sandy Springs and reports to the US Department of Education. The license here is a nail technician license, which means manicure, pedicure and nail enhancement. It takes the shortest course in the field and is a narrower ticket, and for someone who already knows they want that end of the trade, the narrowness is the point. Of 246 enrolled in the fall count, 100 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $18,055 for the full program. The median graduate left with $6,222 in federal loans, across 111 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $66 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 100 percent, 46 points over the 54 percent median, is a good sign. $18,055 is within 5 percent of the $18,825 median for a course shorter than cosmetology, which is dear for nail technology and worth asking about. 163 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Check its license with the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Half of manicurists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell earn under $27,190, with the tenth percentile at $21,390 and the ninetieth at $58,030. Top earners locally clear twice the median, so the ceiling is real, though it belongs to stylists with an established book rather than to new graduates. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell employs the trade at only about 0.4 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
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#2
Keune Academy by 124
Lawrenceville, GA
85%
Share of students who finish
- 85% finish
- 63 graduates a year
- $19,585 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Lawrenceville, Keune Academy by 124 is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. The school graduates 85 percent, on a fall headcount of 117. Tuition is reported at $19,585 for the full program. The median graduate left with $9,833 in federal loans, across 89 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $104 a month. 31 points more of its students finish than the 54 percent median, priced within 5 percent of the $18,825 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. The school conferred 63 credentials in the year reported. The license from the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell runs from $17,630 at the tenth percentile to $80,880 at the ninetieth, with a median of $34,640. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. The occupation is about as common around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell as it is nationally.
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#3
Hogan Institute of Cosmetology and Esthetics
Lilburn, GA
83%
Share of students who finish
- 83% finish
- 53 graduates a year
- $14,600 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Lilburn, Hogan Institute of Cosmetology and Esthetics is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 83 percent of students see the course through, out of 69 enrolled. It charges $14,600 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. The median graduate left with $9,750 in federal loans, across 44 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $103 a month. That puts it in the rare corner of this table: 29 points more of its students finish than the 54 percent median, and it charges 22 percent less than the $18,825 median to do it. The school conferred 53 credentials in the year reported. The license from the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell earn under $34,640, with the tenth percentile at $17,630 and the ninetieth at $80,880. The distance between $17,630 and $80,880 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 5,760 people.
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#4
Paul Mitchell the School-Esani
Roswell, GA
77%
Share of students who finish
- 77% finish
- 267 graduates a year
- $18,800 program cost
What the record shows
Paul Mitchell the School-Esani runs its cosmetology program in Roswell and reports to the US Department of Education. The school graduates 77 percent, on a fall headcount of 359. It charges $18,800 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. The median graduate left with $9,833 in federal loans, across 289 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $104 a month. $18,800 is within 1 percent of the $18,825 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 77 percent against 54. That is the better half of the trade. The school conferred 267 credentials in the year reported. Ask the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell runs from $17,630 at the tenth percentile to $80,880 at the ninetieth, with a median of $34,640. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. On concentration, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
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#5
Empire Beauty School-Kennesaw
Kennesaw, GA
75%
Share of students who finish
- 75% finish
- 30 graduates a year
- $19,260 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Kennesaw, Empire Beauty School-Kennesaw is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 75 percent of its students finish, out of 161 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $19,260 for the full program. The federal file reports borrowing for Empire Beauty campuses together rather than for this one: a median of $12,500 in federal loans across 838 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $133 a month. 21 points more of its students finish than the 54 percent median, priced within 3 percent of the $18,825 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. 30 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. From 161 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. Check its license with the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell earn under $34,640, with the tenth percentile at $17,630 and the ninetieth at $80,880. The distance between $17,630 and $80,880 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. Local concentration around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell sits near the national average.
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#6
Georgia Career Institute
Conyers, GA
69%
Share of students who finish
- 367 graduates a year
- $15,400 program cost
What the record shows
Georgia Career Institute runs its cosmetology program in Conyers and reports to the US Department of Education. 69 percent of the 515 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $15,400 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $8,434 in federal loans, measured over 497 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $89 a month. That puts it in the rare corner of this table: 15 points more of its students finish than the 54 percent median, and it charges 18 percent less than the $18,825 median to do it. It awarded 367 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, the range runs $17,630 to $80,880 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $34,640. The distance between $17,630 and $80,880 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. The occupation is about as common around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell as it is nationally.
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#7
Elaine Sterling Institute
Atlanta, GA
67%
Share of students who finish
- 477 graduates a year
- $17,000 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Atlanta, Elaine Sterling Institute is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 67 percent of the 641 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $17,000 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $9,500 in federal loans, measured over 350 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $101 a month. 13 points more of its students finish than the 54 percent median, priced within 10 percent of the $18,825 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. It awarded 477 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is roughly 9 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. Confirm the school's current license with the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers first: federal reporting is about financial aid, and it is the state license that qualifies your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, the range runs $17,630 to $80,880 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $34,640. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. The occupation is about as common around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell as it is nationally.
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#8
Pro Way Hair School
Stone Mountain, GA
60%
Share of students who finish
- 60% finish
- 40 graduates a year
- $21,360 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Stone Mountain, Pro Way Hair School is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 60 percent of students see the course through, out of 67 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $21,360 for the full program. Paying 13 percent over the $18,825 median buys 6 points of completion over the 54 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. The school conferred 40 credentials in the year reported. Verify the school's standing with the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell earn under $34,640, with the tenth percentile at $17,630 and the ninetieth at $80,880. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 5,760 people.
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#9
Beaver Beauty Academy
Decatur, GA
54%
Share of students who finish
- 54% finish
- 40 graduates a year
- $15,495 program cost
What the record shows
Beaver Beauty Academy runs its cosmetology program in Decatur and reports to the US Department of Education. The school graduates 54 percent, on a fall headcount of 47. The published cost is $15,495 for the full program. Completion at 54 percent, exactly the median, and 18 percent less to get it: the price is the argument for this one. The school conferred 40 credentials in the year reported. Ask the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, the range runs $17,630 to $80,880 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $34,640. The distance between $17,630 and $80,880 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. On concentration, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
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#10
Empire Beauty School-Gwinnett
Lawrenceville, GA
50%
Share of students who finish
- 50% finish
- 36 graduates a year
- $19,260 program cost
What the record shows
Empire Beauty School-Gwinnett trains in Lawrenceville, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. 50 percent of its students finish, out of 130 enrolled in the fall count. It charges $19,260 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. Borrowing is pooled across Empire Beauty campuses in the federal file, 838 borrowers at a median of $12,500 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $133 a month. Completion and price both sit close to the page median, 50 percent against 54 and $19,260 against $18,825, and that median is low: 50 in a hundred here do not finish, which at $19,260 makes the purchase closer to a coin flip than a sure thing. The school conferred 36 credentials in the year reported. From 130 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. Ask the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
Around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, the median cosmetologist earns $34,640, the bottom tenth $17,630 and the top tenth $80,880. The distance between $17,630 and $80,880 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. Local concentration around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell sits near the national average.
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#11
Atlanta Technical College
Atlanta, GA
49%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
- 221 graduates a year
What the record shows
Atlanta Technical College runs its cosmetology program in Atlanta and reports to the US Department of Education. Across all 3,875 students at the college, 49 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. That 49 percent is low for this page, but it is the college's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. 39 graduates borrowed, at a median of $7,927 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $84 a month. 221 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. Ask the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
Around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, the median cosmetologist earns $34,640, the bottom tenth $17,630 and the top tenth $80,880. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. Local concentration around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell sits near the national average.
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#12
Paul Mitchell the School-Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
48%
Share of students who finish
- 48% finish
- 120 graduates a year
- $18,825 program cost
What the record shows
Paul Mitchell the School-Atlanta runs its cosmetology program in Atlanta and reports to the US Department of Education. Of the 249 students in its fall count, 48 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $18,825 for the full program. 133 graduates borrowed, at a median of $12,000 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $127 a month. 6 points fewer of its students finish than the 54 percent median, priced exactly at the $18,825 median, so you would be paying the going rate for worse odds of getting through. Ask the school what happens to the ones who leave. The school conferred 120 credentials in the year reported. Confirm the school's current license with the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers first: federal reporting is about financial aid, and it is the state license that qualifies your hours.
Where it leads
Around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, the median cosmetologist earns $34,640, the bottom tenth $17,630 and the top tenth $80,880. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 5,760 people.
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#13
Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Clarkston, GA
44%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
- 23 graduates a year
What the record shows
Georgia Piedmont Technical College teaches cosmetology in Clarkston, with its results published federally. 44 percent of students across the college finish, out of 2,198 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. That 44 percent is low for this page, but it is the college's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. Its 23 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 2,198. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. The license from the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, the range runs $17,630 to $80,880 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $34,640. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. The occupation is about as common around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell as it is nationally.
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#14
Chattahoochee Technical College
Marietta, GA
38%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
- 116 graduates a year
What the record shows
Chattahoochee Technical College teaches cosmetology in Marietta, with its results published federally. Across all 8,727 students at the college, 38 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. That 38 percent is low for this page, but it is the college's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. It awarded 116 beauty credentials in the reporting year. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. The license from the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
Around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, the median cosmetologist earns $34,640, the bottom tenth $17,630 and the top tenth $80,880. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 5,760 people.
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#15
Gwinnett Technical College
Lawrenceville, GA
32%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
- 20 graduates a year
What the record shows
Based in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett Technical College is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 32 percent of students across the college finish, out of 8,728 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. That 32 percent is low for this page, but it is the college's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. 23 graduates borrowed, at a median of $13,699 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $145 a month. Its 20 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 8,728. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. Verify the school's standing with the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell earn under $34,640, with the tenth percentile at $17,630 and the ninetieth at $80,880. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. Local concentration around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell sits near the national average.
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#16
Empire Beauty School-Morrow
Morrow, GA
29%
Share of students who finish
- 29% finish
- 64 graduates a year
- $19,260 program cost
What the record shows
Empire Beauty School-Morrow trains in Morrow, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. 29 percent of its students finish, out of 242 enrolled in the fall count. It charges $19,260 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. Only 29 in a hundred finish here, 25 points under the 54 percent median that is not high to begin with. Treat that as the headline, not a footnote, and hold the $19,260 price against it. It awarded 64 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 242 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. Check its license with the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell runs from $17,630 at the tenth percentile to $80,880 at the ninetieth, with a median of $34,640. The distance between $17,630 and $80,880 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. On concentration, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
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#17
Empire Beauty School-Northlake
Atlanta, GA
22%
Share of students who finish
- 22% finish
- 36 graduates a year
- $19,260 program cost
What the record shows
Empire Beauty School-Northlake teaches cosmetology in Atlanta, with its results published federally. 22 percent of its students finish, out of 127 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $19,260 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Empire Beauty campuses in the federal file, 802 borrowers at a median of $13,583 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $144 a month. Only 22 in a hundred finish here, 32 points under the 54 percent median that is not high to begin with. Treat that as the headline, not a footnote, and hold the $19,260 price against it. The school conferred 36 credentials in the year reported. From 127 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. The license from the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
Around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, the median cosmetologist earns $34,640, the bottom tenth $17,630 and the top tenth $80,880. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. Local concentration around Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell sits near the national average.
What Georgia's Board Requires for a Cosmetology License
Cosmetology and barbering sit under one board in Georgia, and it lives somewhere unusual: the Professional Licensing Boards Division of the Secretary of State's office, rather than a health or consumer-protection department. The Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers licenses the schools directly. Since October 2018 the state's nonpublic postsecondary regulator has held no records for beauty schools at all.
The requirement is 1,500 hours over at least nine months, and Georgia splits it: 250 theory hours and 1,250 service-application hours. The online rule reaches 350 of those, roughly 23 percent, because it lets the theory hours plus 100 service-application hours run remotely. Most states cap theory and stop there, as our guide to online cosmetology hours lays out.
School is not the only route. Georgia recognizes a 3,000-hour apprenticeship over 18 months as a full alternative to a 1,500-hour program, which doubles the hours and removes the tuition. That trade is worth pricing against the Atlanta schools below, where program tuition runs from $14,600 to $21,360.
Figures in this section: Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers (Professional Licensing Boards Division, Office of the Georgia Secretary of State); BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
Reading the Atlanta Ranking Without Being Misled by It
International School of Skin Nailcare & Massage Therapy in Sandy Springs sits first at 100 percent completion, 15 miles out, at $18,055. Read that figure carefully. It covers the whole institution, massage therapy included, rather than the cosmetology program alone, and its graduates report $20,066 five years after entry, near the bottom of this list.
Keune Academy by 124 is second at 85 percent on 117 enrolled, in Lawrenceville, the farthest school here at 26 miles and $19,585. Hogan Institute of Cosmetology and Esthetics in Lilburn is third, 17 miles out, at 83 percent on 69 enrolled, and at $14,600 it is the cheapest school on the list that reports a price.
Four of the seventeen are public technical colleges, and their completion figures work differently again. Atlanta Technical College reports 49 percent, Georgia Piedmont 44 percent, Chattahoochee 38 percent and Gwinnett 32 percent, but those are institution-wide rates across thousands of students in every subject the college teaches. Atlanta Technical College awarded 221 beauty credentials in the reporting year.
The bottom of the list is an Atlanta address. Empire Beauty School-Northlake finished 22 percent of 127 enrolled at $19,260, while the same operator's Kennesaw campus finished 75 percent at the identical price, 21 miles out. Same brand, same $19,260, a 53-point gap in who finishes. The methodology explains what the order does and does not measure.
Figures in this section: BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What Beauty Work Pays in the Atlanta Metro
The Atlanta metro reports 5,760 hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists at a $34,640 median in the BLS May 2025 release, $80 above the $34,560 Georgia median. That is not a metro premium in any practical sense. Most of the state's 7,910 stylists work in this metro.
The percentile spread is where Atlanta gets hard to summarize. The 10th percentile is $17,630 and the 90th is $80,880. A bottom-tenth Atlanta stylist reports about half the median, which is what part-time chair work and slow first years look like on a wage survey.
Skin work pays better and more evenly. Skincare specialists in the metro report a $51,320 median on 1,720 employed, $16,680 above stylists, running from $32,670 to $64,830. Barbers report a $30,750 median on 360 employed, below stylists at the middle but reaching $92,130 at the 90th. Barber pay has the national comparison, and all of these count wage and salary workers only.
Georgia's film work shows up in one line of the state data. Georgia reports 200 makeup artists in theatrical and performance work at a $143,230 median, a concentration nearly triple the national rate. It is a narrow door at 200 jobs statewide, and what makeup artists actually do is worth reading before you plan around it.
Figures in this section: BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What Cosmetology Careers Pay in Atlanta
Median annual pay in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area, from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. A cosmetologist here earns a median of $34,640 against $34,560 across Georgia, with 5,760 employed in the metro. Booth renters and salon owners are self-employed and outside the survey, so these figures describe stylists on a payroll.
- Estheticians $51,320 $51,320
- Cosmetologists $34,640 $34,640
- Barbers $30,750 $30,750
- Nail technicians $27,190 $27,190
| Occupation | Metro median | Georgia median |
|---|---|---|
| Estheticians | $51,320 | $48,660 |
| Cosmetologists | $34,640 | $34,560 |
| Barbers | $30,750 | $30,750 |
| Nail technicians | $27,190 | $26,910 |
Each occupation has its own salary page with the range and every state, and a career page on the work and the license it needs.
Common Questions About Cosmetology School in Atlanta
Answers draw on Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers (Professional Licensing Boards Division, Office of the Georgia Secretary of State), the College Scorecard and the May 2025 BLS wage release.
How many hours do you need for a cosmetology license in Atlanta?
Can Atlanta students do cosmetology hours online?
Which Atlanta cosmetology school has the highest completion rate?
What does beauty school cost around Atlanta?
How much do hairdressers make in Atlanta?
Are there beauty schools in Atlanta this ranking leaves out?
Sources
- Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers (Professional Licensing Boards Division, Office of the Georgia Secretary of State), school license records, read 2026-08-31. Hour requirement for a cosmetologist license: 1,500 clock hours, cited to the rule.
- US Department of Education, College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Completion, enrollment, cost and location for every cosmetology program (CIP 12.04) within 30 miles of downtown Atlanta. Each card links its institution's Scorecard page.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Metro-area wages and employment for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area.